DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF PROF. JOSE MARIA SISON (Philippines)

September 26, 2002

To:
THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT
Mr.Prime Minister of The Netherlands

Philippine Prof. Jose Maria Sison is living in the Netherlands as a recognized political refugee under the protection of the Refugee Convention and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Prof. Sison is the General Consultant of International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) and has been the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). These negotiations have been facilitated by the Norwegian, Dutch and Belgian governments.

On 9 August 2002, the US State Department listed the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People's Army (NPA) as "foreign terrorist organizations", encouraging other governments "to take action to isolate these terrorist organizations, to choke off their sources of financial support, and to prevent their movement across international borders". Since 12 August 2002, the US Treasury Department has listed Jose Maria Sison as a "terrorist" whose assets must be frozen.

Subsequently, the Dutch government has followed the bidding of the US by issuing the 'Sanctions ruling on terrorism 2002 III' on 13 August 2002, criminalizing Jose Maria Sison as a "terrorist" without benefit of due process and subjecting him to punishment such as:

The freezing of his Postbank current account through which he receives social welfare payment to pay his bills.

The removal of all state subsidies for food, housing, health insurance and other necessities under a directive dated 10 September 2002 from the social welfare agency of Utrecht's municipal government.

We, the undersigned, vow to help defend the rights of Prof. Jose Maria Sison.

We demand from the Dutch authorities:

• the full respect for the protection of Jose Maria Sison as a recognized refugee under the relevant international conventions;
• the grant of his residence permit in the Netherlands;
• the immediate de-listing of his name and the unconditional and complete withdrawal of the 'Sanctieregeling terrorisme 2002 III'
• the immediate, unconditional and complete restoration of all the social benefits to which he is entitled as a political refugee (monthly allowance, insurance and housing benefits)
• the refusal of any possible demand for his extradition.

Signed by:

G N Saibaba
All - India Convenor
Forum Against Imperialist Globalisation (FAIG)
And General Secretary, All India Peoples Resistance Forum (AIPRF)

P K Shahi,
All India Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU)

Laxman Pant,
Indian Nepalese Rights' Protection Committee

Anjani
Convenor, Delhi Committee, All India Peoples Resistance Forum (AIPRF)

Aparna Delhi Committee

CPI ML New Democracy

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